When Sea Water Evaporates
by KeniOdair
Summary: Annie's always been scared of the Reaping day, and when she gets reaped, her world collapses. The only one who keeps her strong is the handsome and sexy Finnick Odair, her mentor. This is Annie Cresta's year in the Hunger Games. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright! So this is my first fan fiction ever, so please leave a review or send a PM if you have any suggestions :) I'd really appreciate it! For now... Enjoy! **

**xx**

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Today is the day of the Reaping. I have hated this day ever since I learned about the Hunger Games. I glance at my clock; 6:00am. 6 hours left till the Reaping. I get out of my bad and put on a pair of casual jeans. A beautiful dress has been laid out on my desk.

"Thanks mom," I mutter softly. I quickly pull a shirt over my head and run downstairs. The windows are closed and it's completely dark, except for a small ray of light, shining through a little hole in the blinds. While silently tying my shoelaces, I study the little specks of dust flying through the sunlight. I get up, open the front door, and inhale the fresh, salty air. It's quite warm for 6:00am. I smile as a bird lands on the porch and start making my way to the beach.

"Leah!" I yell as soon as I spot my best friend near the shoreline. She turns around and waves. I roll up my jeans, take of my shoes and run through the rough sand, towards her. When the icy water touches my feet, I shiver and Leah laughs. I splash her with some water, which makes us both laugh. Suddenly we grow silent, realizing that this could be our last morning together if one of us gets reaped today. Originally, District four is supposed to be a career District, but sometimes, no one volunteers. What if… I push the thought away and stare at my reflection in the water. A pair of sea green eyes stares back at me.

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"Hey Annie!" Leah yells, "Over here!" I swallow, straighten my dress and push through the crowd towards my friend. She must see the fear in my eyes, because she wraps an arm around me and whispers, "It'll be ok… You won't get pick." I nod and turn my attention to the stage, where the previous Victors of District four are taking their places. There are five of them. I hear all the girls around my sigh as Finnick Odair takes his seat. Ok, he's good looking… I give him that… I turn to Leah to say something when she suddenly whispers, "Oh. My. God. Annie… He's looking at you! He's smiling, he's smiling!" I sigh and roll my eyes.

"Yea right, Leah"

"No! Look! Now!" When I look at the stage, my eyes meet a pair of piercing green eyes; to be precise, Finnick Odair's eyes. Leah was right. He _is _looking at me and he's smiling. A lady appears on the stage and I quickly return a smile before she starts talking.

After what seemed like ages, the woman announces, "It's time to pick this year's Tributes! Ladies first." Her long fingers hover above the bowl and my heart starts beating faster. Faster as in abnormal speed. Then she picks a paper out of the bowl. I can feel the tension rippling through the crowd as she slowly opens the paper.

"Annie Cresta!" she purrs. I yelp softly as she reads out my name again. Next to me, Leah squeezes my hand. All eyes are turned on me. The only sound there is as I make my way through the stage, is the sound of my shoes on the ground. I feel Finnick's eyes on me all the time. "Are the any volunteers?" our District Escort asks.

"Please, please, please," I think. When no one volunteers, I swallow hard a scan the crowd for Leah. Our eyes meet, and she mouths, "I'm so sorry…" I just shake my head and look at my shoes. Everything seems to be going in slow-motion. The boy Tribute gets reaped, "Nicholas Greens". I vaguely recognize him from school. Again, no one volunteers. He nods at me and we shake hand. Then, we are ushered away, to the rooms behind the stage…

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***Dramatic music plays* What did you guys think? Was it good? Horrible? Amazing? Review please :) I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I have exams right now, so it's kinda hard :/ **


	2. Chapter 2- The Journey

**Hey people! I know... This chapter is waayyy to short, and I really have to write more... But for now this will do! Leave a little note for me, or PM, and I'll write something back to you!**

**Thanks and I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter!**

**-K**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games or the characters Finnick and Annie (eventhough I wish I did :3)**

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We are escorted into separate rooms in the Justice building, awaiting our loved ones to come say goodbye. I brush my fingers through the soft green velvet sofa and just as I'm sitting the door opens wide.

"Leah!" I scream. She has tears running down her eyes and she runs to me and embraces me.

"I'm so sorry Annie! I'm sorry! I should've volunteered! I shouldn't have just let you go this way! I-"

"It's okay Leah… I rather it's me who goes, I wouldn't let anything happen to you, ever." I burst to tears and Leah cries along, we are there standing and hugging tightly when a peace keeper comes to take her away.

"No! No! ANNIE! You will win! I won't let you leave me!" I can still hear her yelling and kicking when the door closes, leaving me alone, again. No one else comes. I don't blame them either. My mother already lost her first kid to the games, and it must be unbearable seeing her second and now only child leave from her side. My father, well, let's just say he left us when I was six, and I don't want to see him either.

I spend the rest of the time crying until I'm all drained out, and finally a Capitol escort comes to usher me to the train. Nicholas and I get assigned a room for the course of the journey; I change into simple clothes and admire the beauty and expense of all this fancy furniture. I try my hardest to think happy thoughts, unluckily it is impossible to forget Leah sobbing by my side or my old mother who is now lonely and probably forever. It is finally dinner and I make my way to the dining compartment, and just as Leah pointed out before, Finnick's piercing emerald eyes are observing my every move...

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**No cliffhanger... But, that doesn't mean you have to stop reading my story! The credits for this go to Admin Annie on my Facebook Page 'Throwing Burned Bread' :) She helped me write part of the story. I'll try to upload as soon as possible! :D**

**-K**


	3. Chapter 3

After dinner, I try to talk to Nicholas about the Reaping. He's sitting on a couch in the bar carriage and looks up when I sit down next to him.

'Hey,' I carefully start. He glances at me and I smile slightly. I can see anger and fear in his eyes and it scares me. I've never seen so much emotion in someone's eyes before.

'Are you ok?'

'What do you think?' He spits back at me. I try to answer, but something's stopping me. Shocked by his reaction, I slowly move away from him. Tears start welling up in my eyes, and I guess he notices, because he immediately says, 'I'm sorry Annie… It's just that… I don't know what's going on. I guess I just have to sort stuff out. I mean, we got reaped a few hours ago, and now we're in a super-fast train on our way to the Capitol where we'll be trained to… K-' He hesitates a few seconds before softly saying the word we both dread hearing.

'Kill,' he finishes his sentence. I swallow hard and look away. Only then I realize that he feels exactly the same as me; scared, but most of all, homesick… I shiver and a single tear slides down my cheek. Home… Will I ever see my friends again? Nicholas moves closer and I feel a protective arm around me. It feels good to have someone care about me again. I turn around and hug him tightly.

'We'll make it through somehow,' I say. He smiles slightly, nods and replies, 'yes, we will…' Nicholas breaks away from the hug and gets up.

'I'm tired,' he says, 'I'm going to sleep.'

'Good night.' I reply. And he disappears down the narrow hallway. I'm all alone, sitting on a huge couch in a train, in the middle of nowhere. I take a moment to reflect today's happenings. This morning, I was laughing with Leah at the beach, and a few hours later I'm forced to participate in the cruelest event ever. I curl up into a ball, wanting to sink into the couch completely.

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I'm sure that I slept for at least an hour, because when I open my eyes, a pair of piercing green eyes stares straight into mine.

'Are you ok?,' Finnick ask with a concerned voice, 'I've been standing here for over 15 minutes now, and you didn't move at all… At first I thought you were dead.' I start to tear up again and quickly blink my eyes. Too late.

'Ok, well… You're obviously not.' He sits down next to me. I shake my head and reply, 'T-there's nothing, honestly…' I turn around a look at him. For the first time I can get a proper look of my mentor; he's quite tall with dark-blonde hair and piercing green eyes. I get why girls like him so much…

'You know,' Finnick says, 'You're a very bad liar.' He grins and shows off his brilliant white teeth. Stop it Annie. He's your mentor! I sigh and smile slightly, 'I get that a lot.'

'Now, are you still going to tell me?,' He leans in and I can feel his warm breath in my neck, 'I'm your mentor after all…' A blush creeps across my tear-stained cheeks.

'Flirt,' I mutter.

'What did you say?'

'Nothing…' He lifts his eyebrows and sits back up.

I hug my knees and look at him.

'I'm scared… I'm scared I'll never see my friends again. I'm scared for the arena. I-I'm…' Finnick shushes me by placing a finger on my lips. I break down again and he lifts my chin.

'It's ok… Everyone's scared! Listen Annie, can you fight?' I nod.

'Can you swim?' I nod again.

'Are you a fast runner?' I nod a third time.

'Then there's no need to worry.' He grabs me by my shoulders and adds, 'You've got this, Annie…' He closes the distance between us by placing a gentle kiss on my lips, leaving me completely stunned. When he gets up, he winks and licks his lips. Damn you, Finnick Odiar. The door closes behind him and I'm all alone again, with his kiss still lingering on my lips.

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**Nawww :) I'm sorry I didn't update for a very long time... I was reaaally busy (still am...) but I managed to finish this chapter! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I got 1 review, but 300 views... O.o Okkkk... Never mind that :P **

**Sorry I haven't update for a long time! I was really busy with school, exams, homework and other blab. I know, I know... Everyone uses that excuse! Sorrryyy D:**

**- Big thanks to _Eilonwy Grace_ for the review:**

**I took everything you wrote into consideration and decided to take the story into a different direction! ;)**

**Enjoy the 4th chapter!**

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Confused and unable to regain sleep, I decide to get up, it's near morning anyway. I walk down the hall into the train living room and I can see it; The Capitol. The TV reports, words from our Escort, no one and nothing could capture the magnificence of this city. Skyscrapers, golden fountains, and then the citizens. Strange figures dressed in multicolor, unusual haircuts, the only word that could come to my head to describe them is fake. Everything looks completely fake to me.

'It's disgusting, isn't it?' I turn to find Nicholas by my side.

'They're chanting our names, thirsty for our blood…' I nod, because he is right. It's disturbing. The sight of them makes me sick and I'm about to move away from the window when I see a citizen faint, then I hear screams outside, and now they're chanting a new name.

'Finnick…' I mutter, he's behind us, staring out the window emotionless, cold hearted, straight posture, he doesn't owe these creatures anything.

'Let's move away from here, shall we?' Finnick asks, pointing towards the dining room. We follow in and sit in front of him, the sweetness and happiness of Finnick has vanished, he is now serious and ready to get methodical.

'Since we are now in the Capitol and the games are merely days ahead of us you should know sobbing won't stop a knife from puncturing your intestines, so leave that behind and start thinking as what you now are, warriors.' Well that's a change. All the magic, the kiss, everything is gone, and now I know it didn't mean anything to him. He probably just wanted to cause a distraction. Nicholas and I both nod in approval and the train stops.

'You will now start to get ready for the Tribute Parade; sponsors will be looking out, so make an impression. Show them you are here to win, you are proud to be from District 4. Now go.' He ends his speech and we start to walk for the door. I walk slowly and brush my feet through the ground, it was all fake, it didn't mean anything...

'Annie!' a voice alerts me and I see the train doors closing on me, I panic, I know if I don't move fast I will be crushed to pieces. Something grabs me and I fall to the ground and see the train moving away. I check I haven't broken anything and someone offers me a hand. I find myself staring at the piercing green eyes of my savior.

'Thanks,' I mutter, a blush creeping up my cheeks.

'Well, I couldn't let my female Tribute get crushed in front of everyone, now could I? They'll have to wait for that till you are in the Arena.' I snort. Are you kidding me?

'Very funny, Finnick. Ha. Ha. Ha.' I say sarcastically. He ignores me and grabs my shoulder tightly, dragging me through the crowd. A few meters further I can see our District Escort, Pine Merriweather and Nicholas entering a car. It doesn't take long before the first Capitol lady breaks through the barrier of Peacekeepers and throws hers arms around Finnick. Suddenly everyone starts pushing and Finnick loses his grip on my shoulder. I get shoved into the crowd of screaming Capitol citizen, losing Finnick out of my sight. People are now recognizing me and just can't seem to leave me alone. I see a man in a white uniform pushing through the crowd towards me.

'Get out of the way! Everybody back up!' He yells. When he reaches me, he lifts up the visor of his helmet and smiles at me.

'It's the same every year… We can blame it all on him,' the Peacekeeper explains while pointing at Finnick. Looks like a catastrophe... Three other Peacekeepers managed to find their way to us and are now shielding me from any more crazy people. We slowly start pushing forwards to the car, occasionally shoving someone out of the way. I think about how Finnick saved me. His green eyes make me melt every time I look in them. While standing on my tiptoes, I see how Finnick's trying to push off a few ladies with the help of some Peacekeepers. I chuckle softly.

The car looms up in front of me and one of the Peacekeepers opens the door for me. I guess Finnick's still having some trouble getting out of the crowd. I take my seat in the car and the Peacekeeper murmurs something, which I deciphered as:

'Good luck…'

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**REVIEWW please :D It would reaaally make my day! Thanks again for the wonderful beginning of the chapter by Admin Annie on my Facebook Page ( ThrowingBurnedBread?ref=hl) **


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